A Nevada woman who pleaded guilty to decapitating the father of her children could receive a surprisingly light sentence as part of a plea deal.
Devyn Michaels, 46, could serve between 15 years and life in prison as part of the deal after being found guilty of the second-degree murder of her on-again, off-again boyfriend Johnathan Willette, 46.
Court records show Michaels entered his plea on Sept. 17 and as part of the deal would be eligible for parole after serving just 15 years in prison, though as in all cases, sentencing is at the judge’s discretion.
Michaels, who also goes by the name Tracee Tavarez, told the judge she was “a low risk to reoffend” while testifying about a charge from a previous arrest just days after Willette was killed. 8News Now information.
Michaels was arrested in August last year after Willette’s mother discovered her decapitated body in her bed, eight days after the incident occurred. Michaels claims the father of her two daughters tried to force her to perform a sexual act on him before he committed the brutal crime.
Devyn Michaels, 46, who was convicted of second-degree murder of her on-and-off boyfriend, Johnathan Willette, 46, could serve 15 years to life in prison as part of a plea deal.
Michaels was arrested in August last year after Willette’s mother discovered his headless body in her bed eight days after the incident occurred.
Johnathan Willette and Michael’s rocky relationship was also a factor in the case, as court records show the couple planned to move in together even though she was married to Willette’s son, Deviere.
Police found Willette’s body still smoldering and smelling of chemicals believed to be bleach and ammonia.
After decapitating her then-boyfriend, she reportedly took Willette’s head from Henderson’s home to her home in Las Vegas, where she threw it in the trash. Police also found Willette’s wallet, ID and keys to her truck at her home across town.
Willette’s head was never recovered as police believe the garbage service likely collected it.
Following the investigation, she initially denied murder and claimed she left his home on the night of his death. She later admitted hitting him on the head with a wooden stick after rejecting his advances, allegedly saying she just wanted to hospitalise him.
She also claimed Willette was abusive to her and alleged that he made her oldest son shower in front of him, according to an arrest report.
Her rocky relationship with Willette was also a factor in the case, as court records show the couple planned to move in together even though she was married to Willette’s son, Deviere.
Police found Willette’s body still “smoking” and smelling of chemicals, believed to be bleach and ammonia.
After decapitating her then-boyfriend, she reportedly took Willette’s head from Henderson’s home to her home in Las Vegas, where she threw it in the trash. Police also found Willette’s wallet, ID and keys to her truck at her home across town.
Court records reveal that in the weeks surrounding the murder, Michaels was also involved in a separate case involving the alleged abuse of one of her children.
Michaels was also arrested in October 2022 for child neglect after a daycare employee noticed bruises on his 8-year-old son’s leg.
A 2022 post-arrest hearing resulted in a one-year probation sentence for Michaels as he insisted he was not an abusive person and cited his involvement in counseling and therapy.
“I’ve been to counseling classes, therapy, drug testing, psychological evaluations. I’ve done it all. Everyone I’ve talked to says I’m not an abusive person and they don’t think there’s any risk that I would abuse her or do it again,” she told the court.
Michaels is scheduled to be sentenced for Willette’s murder on Oct. 31.